Z Rheumatol. 2025 Dec 18. doi: 10.1007/s00393-025-01767-0. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
The assessment of the earning capacity of patients with rheumatoid arthritis must be uniform, comprehensible, and reproducible. The aim of this monocentric retrospective cross-sectional study was to identify suitable assessments that have predictive value in relation to the prognosis for earning capacity. A total of 283 patients were included. Of these, 43 (15%; cohort 1) had a suspended or severely compromised earning capacity and 240 (84%; cohort 2) had a positive prognosis for their ability to work. The disease activity of cohort 1 was slightly higher than in cohort 2 (Disease Activity Score 28 [DAS28]: 2.4 ± 1.2 vs. 2.3 ± 0.8; p < 0.05, r = 0.11). Highly significant, clinically relevant differences were found in everyday activities (Hannover functional questionnaire [FFbH]: 61 ± 15 vs. 80 ± 14; p < 0.001, r = 0.38) and hand strength (19 ± 11 kg vs. 23 ± 10 kg, p < 0.001, r = 0.29). The 6‑minute walk test showed clear, clinically relevant differences (430 ± 89 m vs. 552 ± 84 m, p < 0.001, r = 0.32), as did the Timed-up-and-go-Test (TUG; 10.4 ± 4.5 s vs. 7.9 ± 3.9 s, p < 0.01, r = 0.35) and in the Chair-rising-Test (CRT; 23 ± 11 s vs. 11 ± 4.6 s; p < 0.001, r = 0.44). The scores for anxiety and depression were only slightly higher in cohort 1 than in cohort 2 (Patient Health Questionnaire 4 [PHQ-4]: 5.0 ± 3.2 vs. 4.0 ± 2.4, p < 0.001, r = 0.27), as were the scores for fatigue (Modified Fatigue Impact Scale [MFIS] psych: 2.9 ± 0.6 vs. 2.1 ± 0.8, p < 0.001, r = 0.34; MFIS cog: 2.3 ± 0.8 vs. 1.6 ± 0.9, p < 0.001, r = 0.25; MFIS psych-soc: 2.9 ± 0.8 vs. 1.8 ± 1, p < 0.001, r = 0.30). The erosion status (according to the Larsen score) did not differ significantly between cohorts 1 and 2. The data obtained indicate that the FFbH, 6‑minute walk test, TUG, CRT, and hand strength are particularly helpful in assessing the occupational prognosis of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
PMID:41410779 | DOI:10.1007/s00393-025-01767-0